BernCo Offers Pajarito Mesa Emergency ID Signs

Hundreds of people have populated Pajarito Mesa just Southwest of Albuquerque for decades. But without addresses, fire trucks, ambulances or sheriff’s deputies have struggled to reach these residents when it matters most. Bernalillo County is offering what officials said they hope will be a good solution.

Bernalillo County Fire Chief Chris Celaya installed the first emergency number sign on a post outside of a Pajarito Mesa residence. "It’s been a long project in regards to first being able to map it out, being able to identify the structures out here," he said. "The next phase involved getting the residents to come out and voluntarily identify themselves so that we would know where to place these."

The emergency program is voluntary, and out of an estimated 229 structures, around 47 people have signed up to receive numbers so far. Mesa residents can continue to reach out to the county for a number.

But officials are sure to clarify: This is not an address. It’s a location number for emergency responders. That’s because the roads on Pajarito Mesa are not considered legal, they said, so the county can’t recognize addresses.

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On a huge stretch of mesa to the Southwest of Albuquerque, people have built dwellings. These homesteaders on Pajarito Mesa say when they call for emergency services, help isn’t always on its way.

There are questions about the legality of land-ownership or even whether people should be living in this part of Bernalillo County. Some county officials say they don’t want to encourage anyone to move there by providing services.

Since the ’70s, people have been homesteading on the mesa near Albuquerque, just south of the proposed Santolina development. Bernalillo County says without official roads and permits, these Pajarito Mesa structures are illegal, but families are fighting to keep their homes.

Scattered across Pajarito Mesa’s 18 thousand acres are gutted trailers, piles of tires battered by the sun and sandy dirt trails. Somewhere around 800 people are making a go of it here, despite the lack of modern conveniences like running water or an electrical grid. But there’s another side to the mesa.